Telephone system and individual transmitter therefor.



C. L. CHISHOLM.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM AND INDIVIDUAL TRANSMITTER THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNL 15. I9IO.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS--SHEET II J& m Inventor Attorneys Witnesse s C. L. CHISHOLM.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM AND INDIVIDUAL TRANSMITTER THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I5I 1910.

1,158,636. IIIIMIM] Nov. L, HHS.

2 SHEETS SHkiI I Attorneys UNITE STATES PATENT GFFICE.

CHARLES L. CHISHCLIYI, OF MARYSVILLE, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO CHISHOLM TRANSMITTER & TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS COMPANY.

TELEPHONE SYSTEIVI AND INDIVIDUAL TRANSMITTER THEREFOR.

' Original application filed March 21, 1910, Serial No. 550.624.

To a li ii /loin may concern:

B i it known that I, CHARLES LCmsnom-r, on of the United States, residing at i the Prm'incc of Blew Brunsbanana, have went-ed a new and use- Tclephone System and lndiiidual Transmitter Therefor, of which the follow-.

ing is a specification,

This invention. has reference to improvements in individual telephone transmitters and its object is to provide .a telephone transmitter which may be individual to the user, the transmitter being portable and readily attachable to and detachable from freel ac :essible circuit terminals of transmitter circuits situated at local stations in the telephone system, which local stations are each provided with a receiver local there to and may or may not be also provided with a transmitter local to the station.

in ordinary telephone stations of a public or semipublic character there is constant danger of infection of healthy persons with disear s due to the use of the telephone and especially of the transmitters by persons alread having diseases. The transmitter is particu arly liable to become infected through. being used by diseased persons be cause of the eposition of moisture in the mouth piece the trai'ismitter and upon the iiigm during the act of speaking t tits. and dis germs tind ready ltl; piece already moisse, and upon the diai moistened and Warn'ied. .1. iii-1,11 for the propagation of dis' 1 s is particularly favorable in the chamber immediately adjacent to the diaphragm of telephone transmitters in orclinary use. and when the moisture has evaporated such germs are readily dislodged and may easily reach the mouth and nose of a subsequent user so that a public or semipublic station is, because of the transmitter, a constant menace to users or" the telephone. Various means been proposed for elin'iinating the danger of disease infection on the transmitter side of the telephone unit and such means usually consist either of protc ting devices for the mouth piece to be remiwed and destroyed after each use of Hm telephone. or a constantly present disin' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2 1915.

Divided and this application filed June 15,

Serial No. 567,007.

fectant, or some other like expedient, or an attendant s charged with the duty of cleansing and disinfecting the telephone rcceivcr after each use. The removable mouth piece protector is more or less of a nuisance to the user and for this purpose the employment of such a protector is often neglected, and furthermore such mouth piece protectors do not prevent the accumulation of disease germs on the diaphragm. If a germ proof shield be employed it. interferes with the proper transmission of the sound Waves to the diaphragm. The constant presence of a disinfectant is usually highly disagreeable to the user of the telephone. An attendant is often neglectful, and seldom it ever attempts to cleanse the diaphragm, such diaphragm usually being out of reach.

The desirability of individualizingtelephones has long been recognized, both for sanitary reasons and because many persons of refined tastes object to promiscuously used public telephones, but attempts to individualize the telephone have at best only resulted in the production of bulky instruments too large to be readily stored or transported by the ordinary user, and further more requiring marked changesin existing telephone installations.

By the present invention the transmitter only is individualized to the user for it is the transmitter that is practically the sole source of danger in the use of public telephones, since the danger from the receiver is almostwholly negligible.

lly the present invention the transmitter is made of minute size and coacting parts are so related thereto that the transmitter, the mouth piece, and at protecting casing for these parts for permitting the instrument to be readily carried in the pocket, do not necessarily exceed the size of an ordinary Watch of medium diameter and thickness so that the whole instrument is Well adapted to a vest pocket.

The present invention'contemplates not only the features mentioned but other features. resulting in the elimination not only of all the dangers to the health of the users of telephones but of all of the disagreeable features of public or semi-public telephones,

all of which will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompany drawings, in which drawingsz Figure l is a diametric section, with parts in elevation of an individual transmitter as housed in a casing similar to watch ing, the showing being on a somewhat en larged scale. I? 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing the casing open and the mouth piece of the transmitter in the operative position. Fig. 3 is a section of the structure of Fig. 1 on a diameter approximately at right angles to the diameter of the section of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view showing the individuai transmitter without the protectin casing and with a noncollapsihle mouth piece, the latter being shown in section. Fig. is an elevation of a desk set showing the adaptability of the individual transmitter thereto. Fig."6 is a section, on an enlarged scale of circuit terminals used in connection with the present invention. Fig. 7 is a section, on an enlarged scale, of the terminal carrying portion of the individual transmitter, such terminals being adapted to the local station terminals illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a diagram of a telephone system showing local stations suitably equipped for the use of the individual transmitter. Rig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of a porhon of the individualtransmittcr, with parts in section.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a casing 1 provided with a cover 2 which may or may not be hinged to the body of the casing but which is shown in the drawings as so hinged, and the casing with its cover is in size and shape similar to" an ordinary watch case, whereby the structure, when closed, is adapted to be placed in the vest pocket if desired, thus -making the transmitter highly convenient for individual use.

Mounted in. the casing l. is a transmitter element- 3 which may be considered as a granular microphonic element of minute size witl'i th. diaphragm and granule chamber sun. ,antiaily coextensive, the sound re: ceiving diaphragm being of less diameter than the diameter of the bell end of mouth pieces such as are commonly employed in connection with transmitters.

The microphonic element 3 is mounted in the casing 1 between the back thereof and a plate 4 which may overlie in part the diaphragm of the transmitter to form a shallow air chamber. It will he understood however that the plate 4 is not absolutely necessary since the microphonio element may be mounted directly on the inner back wall of the casing l.

Secured to the transmitter elemen or to the plate 4 where constituting the outer ing for the transmitter element is a piece 5 which be screwed or otherwi secured to a boss 6 formed on the trout the plate 4 and having a passage the a through so that sound waves. may ease. reach the diaphragm in the usual m nner In order that the transmitter may readily portable and convenient the r it is preferred to form the mouth ph such manner as to be easily collapsible and for this purpose. it may be made of spiral wire 7 having a constant tendency toward the expanded position but which may he collapsed in the direction of the axis of generationof the spiral, and this spiral wire support 7 is provided with a covering 8 of some suitable iicxiolc material which for the best results should be impervious to moisture. Soft rubber, oiled silk, and iii-re materials are adapted for this purpose.

The mouth piece 5 may remain on the transmitter and when the cover 2 is closed onto the body portion 1 of the casing then this month piece wiii collapse into i shallow space, but by forming the wire 7 of elastic metah. such for instance as piano wire, the mouth piece will have a constant tendency to assume the operative or expanded position. The casing 1 maybe provided with a catch 9, push piece 10, and ring 11 similar to iilae parts in watch cases so that when the cover is closed down on the body portion 1 it will be locked in this position but may be rcadiiy released y pressure on the push piece 10 and the cover will then move to the open position either under the action of a spring such as is commonly used in watch cases, or by the expansive impulse of the mouth piece 5. The ring 11 forms a ready means for attaching the casing to a watch chain or other fastening device so that the user may carry the device in the pocket without .iger of losing it, in the same manner as a watch is carried. T flexible cove g of the spiral wire Z either be inside spiral or outside the same, or the spiral may be housed in such covering.

In the particular structure shown in the drawing. iherc mounted in the casing 1, between the hack of the casing and the plate 4, a block 12 of insulating material having spaced cavities 13 matching spaced openings 14 through the rim of the casing at any con- .venient point therearound, but preferably for the use o'l' the individual t.

(UllSlitlilt' thr iwrmi element which termiu dividual Ha pl'cl crziii f. 1 so tha iv inbeyoiul th wmng;

ln ordrr to adapt existing ltzit telns already installed. or new in some modification of such syste sary. but where telephone st ready llhlitllt l with rc"ei\i Zlllti tram tel-s. the transmitters airi not be disturbed and 4 whereby the individual tiansnniter i used. if desired. or the transmitt 5. installed may be used each without inter ference from the other.

A telephone \Yfittllltlllbfldyllt invention is illustrated in Fig. is indicated a central c tation phone line conductors from to vario s local latter are ind, the syst m o; ltllt't \il ili:*'i,.=\in%2 H tions s di 'i'niui-d liach station contain-i a thereto. .\1 th st a train-amine! 2: at the station ill the omitted but i ir tr:- tained.

At station W the liliiii i mitter circuit may be readily ix .i point and another circuit e talni-iml ,1, the transmitter 22 to circuit trrntiir 1 this new circuit including the timary ol' the usual induction (-oil 2.3 and the charging battery 21' or other charging source for the transmitter circuit at the local station.

In the arrangement shown at nation conductor 27 is branched to the tar and a conductor 38 is branrhed ix terminal :H- and when these termini bridged, provision is made to: rutiiw mi Hit trao

1 ii a the transmitter "J21. '1' adapted for the rend tions p.- e 11 is ilhistrateel mow in this y. n

\v in;1 liliiiil it tions oi plugs -l readily enter 123 of an indivi: 3t) heing made emy s} i Gated at ill or tructrd in manner to readily loci; in the without binding therein too ii: any to fere with ready removal of the pin when desirable Each plug 30 has a nun; tubular lining or sleeve 82 which may or aiso split to render it elastic and this ii lining 32 is designed to receive a convo -end in; pin 15 constituting a circuit ten-ulna: of an individual transmitter. The ether and uttering :1 plug 30 l to which may he tr d the respective, may be. The. plug Clo stops r l ol the plug so that vote! v wi'att therewith is prevented. Eider the roniiitions present at local st ait one ot' the sleeves 332 is in electrical no. u ith a plate or strip 34 traversed im- 3.) oi" plug 36 mo able in a irmwl in the block 29 in spaced 1 to that plug $10. the conducting i; ot nhicl is connected to the conplate or strip ll. The end of the :1! .3 projecting through the plate or strip 3! rarrivs a conducting plate 38 to Which is secured a conductor 39 leading to ide of the transmitter 22. A spring 40 1--c-1l within the passage. 37 serves to mainia do) blorl; 341 in a projected position but --l i permit the blovli 33 to move the application of tle spring 39., out of core suicr normal maintained i on v ciflzii. 2w lii'ttt'r and 513 muetitute porismitter Ltit at su t is normally iuaiir 2H and by the action am; when the block 36 is telephone transmitter 22 in the usual manner. If er the E-lorl; 36 be moved against the n oi the spring it) then the telephone I! zziuiiitier 2'! is cut out of the local trans 111N301 circuit.

In an arrangement such as shown at local st t ion l of the system of Fig. 8, if an indivdaal transmitter be applied to the ter- "'"i and 24 by the introduction of the into the sockets 13, then on the 30 in said sockets the into CtHltltCt with the spring" i is compressed he transmitter local to the v act M including the in L transmitter I i. ti. the eircunn tation or the may used as may mirticularly valuable in mum; where the use of the ante: here located may hemonfined to o un itauthorized personsi while the more general use of the station will be! post'or prisons supplied with the indiiual transmitters. Hy this means the dan- L -r at rontamiimtiug the transmitter or of ansiriitting diseases is reduced t0 a negligiwit: minimum Micro it is not desirable to have a taletrans ,v ulizltP -W i ther w th mouth a HUD Fig. 4', "3 and the of not at sihle mouth giirec k v; e 4e ,1 mhrr Y mt Jl'lrl for coon-eel :hone transmittrr xhether the lounl not. this uuiplin;

into the viz" ransnzitter is due to its being -'iit.ar and thereby preventing the ng" of centers of infection and the disease, for the use of the transconfined to one individual. The is particularly useful in connectelephones installed in hospitals or public telephone booths or any lie or semi-public place. Persons with. diseases liable to be trans- :n with the individual transmitter e telephones and have the satisl knowing that such use is free liabilitv of endangering others. we cleanliness of the individual ".s will present a Welcome relief ho object from cleanly motives to "ireous use of teleph n o another advantage of the in 'ransmit n which however is rom- :t A than sanitary. By the emot the individual transmitter the mate use of the telephone l non "3 is prevented since telephone svswilled for use with the individual r only could not he used by others ery n se for which tl1eindiinsmi. is provided would prelng loaned o the owner to others. he particular construction of the nic side of the individual transthis invention does not enter into at invention, it may be stated that hitter, including the sound re eiv :u gm and the granule chamher, may Jian one inch in diameter and less wee sixteenths of an inch in thickness casing inelosing the transmitter be sufiiciently laree to accommozuouth piece when i the collapsed V and since t e 01:1 end of such has four: in prartice to weessf "-x'hen f less diameter mouth pit-tea In C mmon use. the enlure need not eweed the size of a ize Watch of thin oxodel. 'rpli ation is a div lion of my apfcr imprm'ements A telephone intli-Elual trait ter therefor it'll ill, lilll) under F iial Yo lUO \ided with a collapsible mouth piece, a twopart casing one part o l which has the transmitter and its terminals secured thereto and the oth r part of which is hinged to and constitutes a cover for the first part of the casing, said casing when closed housing the transmitter and its mouth piece in collapsed position.

3. A telephone transmitter provided with a casing having a over and a collapsilile mouth piece. both mouth piece and cover tending: normally to open position.

4. A telephone transmitter provided with a casing having a cover and a collapsible mouth piece. the mouth piece being constrained to operative position on the moving of the (over to open position.

5. A portable telephone transmitter comprising a mierophonic element. a collapsible mouth piece carried thereby and having a normal tendency to assume open or operative position, a casing adapted when closed to house the telephone transmitter and the mouth piece when the latter is in the col lapsed condition, inset circuit terminals for the transmitter carried by the casin and other circuit terminals at telephone stations adapted to enter the circuit terminals in the casing of the portable transmitter.

G. A portable telephone transmitter having circuit terminals local thereto and adapted to be applied to and renu'ived from mat-ching terminals at a telepl'ione station without the aid of tools, a casing for said transmitter formed of two members hinged together, and a mouth piece for thetransmitter having a normal tendency to expand to the op erative position and collapsible into the casing on the closing together of the latter.

7. A portable transmitter comprising a casing provided With a cover. a, microphonic element and sound receiving diaphragm therefor included within the confines of the casing. and a collapsible mouth piece for the transmitter having a. normal tendency to assume the operative position and adapted to be housed in the casing in collapsed condition when the cover is closed on the body portion of the casing.

S. A portable telephone transu'iitter comprising a casing of vest pocket size provided with a cover, both the body of the casing and the cover being constructed of stiff material, a microphonic element and sound receiving diaphragm included within the confines of the casing, and a mouth piece tor the trans mitter includable within the casing and its cover and movable with respect to the microphonic elen'ient and diaphragm to the operative position on the opening of the cover.

9. A portable telephone transmitter comprising a casing of vest pocket size provided with a cover. a microphoi'iic element and sound receiving diaphragm included within the confines of the casing, and a collapsible mouth piece for the transmitter includable when collapsed within the casing and its cover and having a normal tendency to assume the operative position.

10. A portable telephone transmitter conr prising a casing of vest pocket size provided with a cover. a mic-rophonic element and sound receiving diaphragm included within the confines of the casing, and a mouth piece for the transmitter includablc within the casing and its cover and provided with means constraining it toward the operative position on the UPC/Hing of the cover.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. CHISHOLM. \Vitnesscs:

FRANK Bi ()eiIsENmn'rcn, F. T. CHAPMAN. 

